Quality Assurance Manager in Poole

Reports to: Managing Director

Overall Responsibility

To lead the site QA function ensuring the company maintains readiness for audits at any time. To maintain the QA and production processes and procedures to the highest level of quality and control possible.

Key tasks

• Ensure Food Hygiene Standards are always adhered to, manage yearly audit planning and audit reports, investigate non-conformance, and make recommendations to your line manager or production manager for effective, appropriate, and corrective actions.
• Spot check stock rotation daily, especially short‑coded items such as poultry.
• Complete the monthly auditing schedule which includes QA015, QA50, and a full GMP (QA012) audit.
• Carry out a weekly internal audit (QA011) and other scheduled checks, reporting any concerns promptly to the relevant management.
• Traceability & mass balance checks carried out in accordance with the QMS; any issues should be raised with your line manager.
• Traceability checks should be carried out on accredited products such as Soil A & Assoc. and Red Tractor meats.
• Using the chosen nutritional platform conduct a monthly audit to check that all product documents are kept updated including CountyFoods labelling on allergen and nutrition.
• Manage supplier risk including assessment of both existing and new product; includes monthly supplier audit, product specification and certification check plus allergen specification.
• Any supplying companies that do not respond to information requests should be escalated to the purchasing manager.
• Fully investigate complaints received from customers and suppliers, confirming the response required with the sales team.
• Complete weekly laboratory testing in‑line with the approved schedule.
• Lead all customer audits.
• Ensure any non‑conformances raised because of an audit are closed within the agreed period.
• Understand all roles within production including Picking and Goods‑In, which should assist with investigation into batch code or traceability queries.
• Review the QMS & HACCP at least annually, leading a team meeting to capture any process changes.
• File all paperwork away and keep for a minimum of 3 years. Rotate/dispose of old paperwork stored.
• Conduct a monthly check on beef labelling activities, especially control of veal deliveries.
• Conduct new employee inductions as requested by HR, ensuring that any new team members are fully equipped to be a food handler.
• Ensure the NPD process is followed from inception to completion following QA052.
• Carry out a monthly audit on the labels available on the scale system, remove any out‑of‑date labels and check the current labels are accurate.
• Review all processes within QA in‑line with customer COPs (Code of Practice s), adding or removing any redundant or unnecessary checks (Gap Analysis).
• Ensure that any checks conducted over and above COPs are still relevant and add a level of security.
• Conduct a monthly check on the transport department paperwork.
• Work on your own initiative with accuracy and commitment, including the completion of paperwork and spreadsheets associated with your duties, coaching and training others as instructed by your line manager.
• Conduct any reasonable instruction given to you by your line manager.